Braised Black Mushroom Chicken Recipes

GARLIC-BRAISED CHICKEN WITH OLIVES AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Heat a large straight-sided skillet (about 12 inches) over medium-high heat. While it's heating, season chicken with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan and swirl. Add chicken, skin side down. Let brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove chicken from pan; set aside.
• Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan, followed by garlic and mushrooms; let brown, stirring occasionally, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Add wine to mushrooms and garlic and bring to a boil, then cook for 1 minute. Return chicken to pan.
• Add olives and chicken stock to pan; bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover; simmer until chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over high. Add chicken, and cook until light golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; set aside.
• Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet. Add mushrooms and garlic, and season with salt. Cover; and cook over medium heat until mushrooms release their juices, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove lid. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are golden, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add wine, and cook, stirring, until evaporated, about 1 minute. Add broth and parsley, cook over medium-high heat until mushrooms are tender and liquid is reduced, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Return chicken to skillet. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve chicken topped with mushrooms, and drizzled with cooking liquid. Garnish with chopped parsley.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOMS, ALMONDS AND SAUTEED HARICOTS VERTS

Steps:

• Cover the dried porcinis with 2 cups hot water and allow to sit for 30 minutes to reconstitute. Remove from the liquid with a slotted spoon before using.
• Coat a large, wide, deep pan with olive oil and bring to a high heat. Pat the chicken skin dry with paper towels and season generously with salt. Add the chicken, skin side down, to the pan¿you should hear a big sizzle as the thighs hit the pan. Do not try to move the chicken; the skin will stick itself to the bottom of the pan and will unstick itself when it is ready. If the pan is smoking excessively, turn the burner down and continue cooking. When the skin is brown and crispy, turn the chicken over and brown it on the other side. Remove the chicken from the pan and reserve.
• Lower the heat if you have not already done so and ditch most of the excess fat from the pan. Add the pancetta, and brown. When the pancetta has started to get brown and crispy, add the onions. Sprinkle with salt and crushed red pepper, and sweat over medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add the assorted mushrooms, including the porcinis, season with salt and saute until they release their juices, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the white wine and reduce by half. Return the chicken to the pan. Add the chicken stock to almost cover the chicken. Add the thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer the chicken for 30 to 35 minutes, adding more chicken stock if needed.
• While the chicken is cooking, puree the almonds in a food processor. With the motor running, drizzle in a little olive oil to make a loose paste. Season with salt and reserve.
• Once the chicken has cooked for 30 to 35 minutes, remove it from the pan and reserve. Taste the sauce for seasoning and stir in the almond puree. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer to thicken the sauce if needed; the almond puree will help to thicken the sauce and will make it very rich.
• Serve the chicken over sauteed haricots verts. Spoon the mushroom-almond sauce over the top and garnish with chopped chives.
• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Set up a bowl of well-salted ice water for shocking.
• Add the haricots verts to the boiling water and cook until tender but still toothsome, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the boiling water and immediately plunge into the salted ice water. Once the beans are cool, remove them from the water and set aside until ready to use.
• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil. Add the garlic and the crushed red pepper and bring to a medium-high heat. When the garlic has become golden and very aromatic, remove and discard it¿it has fulfilled its garlic destiny. Add the beans to the pan and saute until hot and coated with oil. Season with salt and serve right away.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Quick-cooking polenta made to package directions, or crusty-style bake-off packaged bread such as ciabatta or, fresh crusty bread - pop in freezer if storing more than one night.
• Place the dried mushrooms, and stock in small pot over medium-high heat. Bring to low boil then reduce heat to low and reconstitute.
• Heat a thin layer of olive oil, a couple of turns of the pan, in a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid or a Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Pat the chicken pieces dry, and season liberally with salt and pepper. To avoid crowding the pan, brown 1/2 the chicken at a time, skin-side down, for 5 minutes, then turn the chicken and brown 3 to 4 minutes more.
• Remove the browned chicken to a plate and add to the pan the sliced fresh mushrooms, browning the mushrooms for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves, salt, and pepper and stir 10 minutes more to soften.
• Deglaze the pot with the Marsala. Add the chicken pieces back to the pot and arrange the vegetables and mushrooms on top. Remove the porcinis from the small pot, roughly chop, and add to chicken. Pour the porcini stock over the chicken, reserving the last couple of spoonfuls, as this is where any grit may have settled.
• Cover and braise at a low simmer for 30 minutes over low heat. Cool and store for a make-ahead meal. Reheat over a medium flame, or in a preheated 325 degree F oven, and heat through 20 to 30 minutes. Serve with quick-cooking polenta or crusty bread, and garnish with chopped celery tops.

STIR-FRIED CHICKEN, BLACK MUSHROOMS, BAMBOO SHOOTS AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Preparation "A": Place the shitake/black mushrooms in a bowl and fill to the top with medium-hot water; Use a dish to cover in order to keep the mushrooms submerged in the water; soak for 30 minutes (turn after 15 minutes); Next drain and squeeze excess water from mushrooms; Then cut away the stem and cut each mushroom in half; Set aside.
• Preparation "B": Place chicken pieces in a bowl, add 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons red vinegar and 1 tablespoon oil...stir; Set aside.
• Preparation "C": In a cup add 1/3 stock, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon wine, 1/4 teaspoon sugar...stir; set aside.
• Preparation "D": Dissolve in a cup 2 tablespoons stock and 1 tablespoon cornstarch, stir; Set aside.
• Preparation "E": Cut up bamboo shoots into bite size pieces; set aside.
• In a wok add 2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 cloves chopped garlic, stir-fry for 30 seconds; Next add the chopped spinach; Stir-fry for about 3+ minutes until al dente; Drain, squeeze out some of the liquid from the spinach; Place on a serving plate and keep warm.
• In a wok add 2 tablespoons oil, 1 chopped garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds; Then add the chicken pieces; Stir-fry for about 3-5 minutes until the chicken is thoroughly cooked but not overcooked (stir often); Add cashews, stir briefly, then remove to a bowl and set aside.
• In a clean wok add 2 tablespoons oil, then 1 tablespoon chopped ginger and stir-fry 30 seconds; Next add the shitake mushrooms and stir-fry for about 1-2 minutes (add a little stock if needed); Next add the bamboo shoots and stir-fry another minute; Add Preparation "C" soy sauce and oyster sauce liquid, stir occasionally and cook for about 2-3 minutes.
• Stir Preparation "D" cornstarch and stock once again and add a small amount "As Required" (not all) until you have a thick coating on the mushrooms & bamboo shoots (That is, not a liquid sauce).
• Add the cooked chicken pieces & cashews and blend together for about 1 minute.
• Add 1 tablespoon sesame oil and then one quick stir.
• Place the chicken, mushrooms and bamboo shoots on top of the bed of spinach.
• Serve with sticky white rice, Chinese tea and fortune cookies.
• Note:.
• I prefer to use a non-sweet oyster flavored sauce, such as Hop Sing Lung Brand; However, most brands contain sugar (often second ingredient listed on bottle) which is perfectly acceptable.

BLACK MUSHROOM CHICKEN, DEEP-FRIED AND BRAISED

Steps:

• 1. Soak dried mushrooms. 2. Cut chicken in half and wipe with a damp cloth. Rub, inside and out, with soy sauce. Let stand 10 minutes. 3. Meanwhile slice ginger root. Shred bamboo shoot, water chestnuts and soaked mushrooms. Cut scallion stalks in 1-inch sections. 4. Heat oil to bubbling. Gently lower in chicken, one half at a time, and brown lightly. Drain on paper toweling. 5. Heat remaining oil. Add salt and ginger root stir-fry a few times. Add shredded vegetables and scallions stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes. 6. Stir in and heat water add sugar and pepper. Return chicken halves and bring to a boil then simmer. covered, until tender (about 20 minutes). 7. Remove chicken, leaving liquids in pan. Let bird cool slightly then chop, bones and all, in bite-size pieces. Arrange on a serving platter. 8. Gently reheat liquids in pan. Meanwhile blend cornstarch and remaining cold water to a paste then stir in to thicken. Pour sauce over chicken and serve. VARIATION: * In step 7, instead of chopping the chicken, disjoint and bone the legs and wings. Cut the breast meat in slices and arrange decoratively on a platter with legs and wings. The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

BRAISED BLACK MUSHROOM CHICKEN

Steps:

• 1. Soak dried mushrooms. 2. Wipe chicken with a damp cloth and disjoint. Combine soy sauce, sherry and sugar. 3. Heat oil in a large heavy pan. Brown chicken quickly. Then stir in soy-sherry mixture. Reduce heat and cook, covered, 5 minutes, turning pieces once. 4. Boil water separately. Add to chicken, along with mushrooms, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil again then simmer, covered, until done (35 to 40 minutes). VARIATIONS: * For the water, substitute stock. * Omit the water. Increase the soy sauce and sherry to 1/2 cup each and the sugar to 1 tablespoon. Add with the other ingredients after chicken is browned and simmer, covered, about 40 minutes. * In step 3, add to heated oil 2 slices ginger root, crushed and 1 scallion stalk, cut in 2-inch sections. Stir-fry a minute then add chicken and brown. * In step 3, after browning chicken, add the soaked mushrooms and 1/2 cup bamboo shoots, sliced. Stir-fry to coat with oil then continue with steps 3 and 4. * In step 4, add with the mushrooms, 10 Chinese red dates. * During the last 10 minutes of cooking, add 1/4 cup fresh green peas. The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.